twenty-nine
Anthony waited for Dr. Norris in the sitting room.
Isabella’s terrified face and her screams of pain would forever stay in his memories. The ticking of the clock on the mantelpiece thundered. Each second without news about Isabella was a stab.
Not a sound came from the upper floor. The coming and going of the servants had stopped a while ago, and no one was telling him bloody anything. He should march to Isabella’s bedroom and demand to know what the hell was happening to his wife.
“Being so nervous won’t help.” Grandmama was perched on the armchair, sipping tea as if it were a normal evening. “Bad news travels fast. I’m sure it’s a case of indigestion.”
“It seemed more serious than that.” He paused next to the door, trying to catch any noises. A faint scream reached him, but he might be mistaken.
“She has had problems with her stomach for a while,” Grandmama said in a voice that lacked confidence.
Rogers opened the door. “Your Grace, Dr. Norris is here to see you.”
“Finally.”
The doctor’s short stature didn’t diminish the aura of competence and authority she radiated. He tried not to look at what seemed to be a blood stain on her skirt.
Rogers shut the door once the doctor was in.
She bowed her head, cheeks flustered. “Your Grace.”
“How’s my wife?”
Dr. Norris put down her bag, her face tense. “I’m sorry to inform you that Her Grace lost her child.”
“What the—” Anthony didn’t finish the sentence, letting the words sink in. Or rather, one word.
Grandmama’s eyes flared wide, but her lips remained pressed together in an expression that could be mistaken for deep sorrow and not shock.
Isabella had been with child. Anthony tried to contain the pang in his chest, the dark thoughts cramming his mind, and the need to get answers.
“I understand it’s a shock,” Dr. Norris said. “Unfortunately, there was a massive bleeding that?—”
Lawson barging into the room interrupted her, pushing the door open hard enough to slam it against the wall.
“Dr. Norris!” she said. “You can’t talk now.”
Grandmama rose from the armchair, fists clenched. “How dare you come here like that? Leave this room immediately.”
“Dr. Norris.” Lawson shook her head, and wisps of her hair flipped around her flustered face.
“Leave,” he ordered. “I must know how my wife is.”
Lawson shot him a glare he returned. Finally, she dropped a quick curtsy before leaving as quickly as she’d arrived.
He exhaled through clenched teeth. “What were you saying, doctor?”
Frowning, Dr. Norris glanced from the door to him a couple of times. Then her eyebrows lowered as if she’d just realised something. “The duchess suffered a major bleeding that caused the miscarriage. Unfortunately, the first phase of a pregnancy is often the most dangerous. She’s weak and might develop a fever in the next few days. The afterbirth is still attached, so I will apply warm tampons and change them every hour. That will allow me to remove the afterbirth tomorrow morning without causing further distress for the duchess.”
“Is Isabella risking her life now?” Grandmama asked, sitting down again.
Dr. Norris hesitated before answering. “The bleeding stopped for now, and the risk of infection is low. But caution is of extreme importance.”
He seemed to choke on his own breath at the thought of Isabella dying.
“The duchess is young and healthy,” the doctor said. “This unfortunate incident won’t compromise her ability to carry children in the future.”
